The Democrats lost due to the party's unpopularity, a rejection of the Biden administration, and voters prioritizing issues like inflation and immigration over other concerns. The party's strategy was also undercut by a lack of urgency and a failure to break explicitly from Biden's policies, leading to a perception of continuity with an unpopular administration.
Assumptions about race and gender impacted Trump's win by influencing how Democrats treated Kamala Harris, a Black woman, in her role as VP. The party's failure to recognize and address the specific challenges she faced due to her identity contributed to a perception of inauthenticity and a lack of substantive change, which voters sought.
The Democratic Party's condescending and dismissive attitude towards voters' concerns, particularly on issues like inflation and Biden's age, alienated potential supporters. This tone was perceived as arrogant and disconnected, undermining the party's message and contributing to its loss.
The Democratic Party should learn to prioritize authenticity, listen to their base, and avoid being dismissive of voters' concerns. They should also recognize the importance of breaking from past policies to signal a clear and substantive change, rather than relying on stylistic adjustments alone.
The Democratic Party's handling of Kamala Harris, including her perceived flip-flopping on key issues and a lack of a clear, authentic narrative, contributed to her inauthenticity in voters' eyes. This, combined with the party's failure to address her unique challenges as a Black woman, undermined her candidacy and the party's message.
Jack Smith is preparing to wind down his cases against Trump before Trump takes office, potentially rendering the appeals moot. If the appeals are still pending when Trump takes office, it's likely they will be dismissed as prosecuting a sitting president is generally seen as unconstitutional.
Some voters supported both AOC and Trump because they viewed both as outsiders and authentic voices against the establishment. This suggests that for these voters, authenticity and a break from traditional politics were more important than specific policy positions.
Astead Herndon is a New York Times national politics reporter and the host of the politics podcast “The Run-Up.” He joins Preet to make sense of Donald Trump’s reelection. They discuss:
The failures of the Joe Biden Democratic coalition
Outcomes of the 2022 midterm vs. 2024 presidential elections
How assumptions about race and gender played into Trump's win
Harris's law enforcement background
The future realignment of the Democratic Party
Plus, what’s going to happen to special counsel Jack Smith and his pending cases against Trump?
After the election, our work making sense of legal news continues. For the month of November, visit cafe.com/november) to get 40% off your membership for the first year.
For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: cafe.com/stay-tuned/trump-election-democrats-astead-herndon/)
Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail.
Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE) and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices)